Rotary engine



S. J. JUHNSON, DECD.

s. JoHHsoN, Excumlx, ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLlcmoM FILED JULY 11.1916. 1,364,488, Paented Jail. 4, 122i um rnsns. me.. mnu. msnm:

S. j. JOHNSON, DECD. s. IoIIIIsoN, ExEcuTIIIx,

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED IIILY II, III-Ie.

Patented JaLL 4, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

S. J. JOHNSON, DECD.

s.1oHNsoN,xEcuTR|X, ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLCTION FILED JULY {1,19}6- 1,364,438. Patented Jan. 4,1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

3 viwemtofz- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SINCLAIR J. JOHNSON, OF MONTCLAIR, NEVI' JERSEY; SARAH J0HNS0N,EXECUTRIX 0F THE WILL OF SAID SINCLAR J. JOHNSON, DECEASED, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF i TO WALTER C. SHULTZ, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW CJ'FLJRSIEIY.v

ROTARY ENGINE.

Application filed July 11, 1916.

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, Sinonimi J. JoHNsoiv, a citizen of the United States, residing in Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

rThis invention relates to rotary engines operated by fluid pressure in which there is provided an annular fluid chamber tor the engagement orl a wing piston or pistons, and abutments are reciprocable transversely ot the piston chamber and cooperate wltli a piston to provide a fluid pressure chamber at one side oi the piston having an inlet for the motive fluid and a chamber at the opposite side ot' the piston having an outlet for the exhaust of the motive fluid, and it is an object of the invention to improve the general construction of engines of this character to increase the efficiency thereof whereby they will be readily responsive to the actuating medium and convert the maximum amount of actuating medium to energy or power and prevent any appreciable loss of power. A

It is a further object of the invention to provide an engine of this character in which all of the moving parts are at all times maintained in equilibrium to prevent binding and the consequent irictional retardation and wear of said moving parts.

It is another object of the invention to apply an engine of this character to constitute the operating means for a wheel, such as the traction wheel or wheels of a. vehicle.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a. part of this specification Figure 1 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the wheel axle oi' a vehicle with an embodiment of my invention applied thereto, the section at the left being taken through the axle, engine and wheel hub, and the section at the right through the wheel hub, and showing in full lines the outer contour of the engine casing.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the engine.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the piston mechanism.

Fig. 4: is a perspective view ot one end of the axle shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an abutment slidably carried by the piston cylinder Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

seriai No. 108,729.

and reciprocable transversely and radially of the piston chamber. I

F 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of an engine embodying my invention and showing .a modification; and i Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of an engine embodying my invention showing a still further modification.

Similar characters of reference designate like parts throughout the different views of the drawings.

ln the drawings I have shown my invention in connection with the traction wheels ot a vehicle mounted upon an axle to constitute the driving means for a vehicle.

The embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5 consists of a head 7 fixed upon the end 8 ci the axle, which is in the nature of a shaft, as by keys 9, the one end abutting against a shoulder 13 and locked against axial displacement by a nut 9 having screw threaded connection with a reduced portion of the axle and forming a shoulder againstwhich the side of the piston head abuts, said head having laterally eX- tending piston parts or wing pistons 10, 10', substantially diametrically opposite. The head also has laterally projecting curved portions 11, 11 at opposite ends thereof and at the ends of the pistons, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The axle has an intermediateyoked portion 8. The piston head and pistons operate in a cylinder rotatable on' the axle comprising a pair of axially connected sections 14, 14 mounted through the medium of bushings on the axle, the part of the axle upon which the section 14 is mounted being of reduced diameter as at 15. The piston head is of less diameter than the internal diametercf the cylinder thereby providing an annular chamber 16 in which the pistons 10, 10- operate as well as the projections 11, 11.

The charge of the motive medium or fluid to the piston chamber 16 is through a pair of axial ports 17 in the end of the axle connected through a-manifold 18 and pipes 19 with a suitable pump (not shown). The ports 17 have lateral outlets 20 communicating with radial ports 21 in the piston head leading to one side-of the pistons. The exhaust oi the fluid from the chamber 16 is through radial ports 22 in the piston'head located on the side of the pistons opposite to the ports 21, said ports communicating with lateral inlets 23 to axial ports 23 in the end 8 of the axle connected through the manifold 18 with the source of supply, as at 2li.

Slides 25 are mounted in radial projections 26 on the cylinder and guideways 27, 27 in the cylinder sections, and which slides are herein termed as abutmentsf the lower end of which abutments has a bearing upon' the periphery of the piston head and the piston head projections 11, 11. These abutments are reciprocable transversely and radially of the piston or iluid chamber 16, and in one position thereof constitute a transverse partition or wall in said chamber, and by the engagement thereof in the guideways 27 and 27 form fluid-tight partitions. There are two pairs of these abutments, with the abutments of each pair located dimetrically opposite in the cylinder, and when these abutments are in position to engage with the periphery of the piston head, as shown at the lett and right in Fig. 2, they cooperate with the pistons to separate or divide the chamber into iuid expansion chambers at one side of the piston (as shown for instance at 16) with which the inlet ports 1T communicate through the outlets 20 of said ports and the radial ports 21 in the piston head, and 'fluid exhaust or discharge chambers (as shown at 16a) at the opposite side of the pistons and connected through the radial piston ports 22 with the inlets 23 to the outlet 23. To reciprocate the abutments radially and transversely ot' the piston chamber they are provided on opposite sides with depending portions to stra-ddle and engage at opposite sides of the piston head and piston head projections 11, 11, and said depending portions carry inwardly extending lugs or pins 28, which are in the nature cf cam followers, to engage in cam grooves 29 in opposite 'sides of the piston head and projections 11, 11.

It will be obvious that should the piston head with the pistons, or the cylinder, be rotated that the abutments will be reciprocated radially and transversely ot the piston chamber to yclear the pistons during the operation thereof in the piston chamber.

To mount the wheel on the axle the hub of the wheel is constructed of two axially separable sections 30, 30'-, the section 30 having fixed thereto the telly carrying spokes 31 and is rotatably mounted through a bushing upon the shaft portion S of the axle with one end'abutting against a shoulder 32 formed by the connection of the part 8 with the yoked portion ot the axle. The other section 30 is rotatably mounted on the reduced outer end of the axle part 8 through a bushing and is retained thereon by a nut 32. The nut 32 may be inclosed by a dusttight cap or nut 33 connected to the hub section 30. To operatively connect the wheel to the engine the hub has ribs 34 to engage at opposite sides ot the slide carrying projections 26 on the casing.

The operation of the engine as just described is as follows: Assuming the parts 'to be in the position indicated in Fig. 2 with the cylinder in position with the pistons 10, 10 with the abutments 25 at the top and bottom of the cylinder in line with the pistons, and the abutments at the sides engaging in the piston chamber. Vith the parts in this position the motive Huid is being forced through the pipes 19, manifold 18, ports 17, and through the outlets 2O of said ports through the ports 21 in the piston head to the piston chamber between the pi"- ton at the top and the abutment at the right, and the piston at the bottom and the abutment at the left, to the front of the pistons, it being assumed that the engine cylinder is rotating in the direction of the arrow, the expansive torce of the iluid pressing against the abutments at the right and lett moving said abutments with the cylinder forward and any fluid which may be in the piston chamber in front of the abutments at the lett and right will be forced by the abutments through the inlets 22 in the piston head to vthe inlets 23 of the exhaust port-s 23 and through the latter through the manifold 18 and outlet pipes 24 to the source of supply. During the forward movement et the abutments with the cylinder from the positions shown in Fig. 2 movement will be imparted to the abutments at the top and bottom to move said abutments into thc piston chamber and the abutments at the side out of the piston chamber, and when the cylinder has made a one-quarter revolution the abutments shown at the top and bottom in Fig. 2 will be at the right and left and the abutments which had previously been at the sides will be in line with the pistons and moved out of the piston chamber. vWhen the cylinder has moved so that the abutments shown at the top and bottom in Fig. 2 have just passed the inlets 21 in the piston head to the piston chamber they will have been moved transversely of the piston chamber with the Huid entering the piston chamber through the inlets 21 in back of said abutments, and the abutments shown at the sides in Fig. 2 will have been moved so that they will be substantially midway of the outlets 22 in the piston head and are beginning to be moved out of the piston chamber with the fluid in the piston chamber both in front and back of said abutments being ejected through the ports 22.

In the modification shown in F ig. 6 the cylinder is fixed and the shaft or axle part S with the piston head 7 and pistons are rotatable, the end of the shaft 8 extending r through the cylinder, as at 35. The cylinder is secured to and supported in a fixed position by an extensionsl of the cylinder section 1s and the end of the cylinder through which the shaft projects being sealed by a stuffing box 36. The shaft 8 has the axial ports 17 communicating With the ports in the piston head to supply the motive medium or fluid to the piston chamber, and has the axial exhaust ports 23 also communicating through the piston head with the piston chamber. To at all times connect the inlet ports 17 with the source of supply there is provided in the cylinder extension 34 an annular chamber 37 kto which the inlet ports 17 are connected through lateral inlets 38 at all Ktimes n communication with said chamber, the said chamber being connected through a port 39 through a coupling '-1-0 With the source of fluid supply. The exhaust ports 23- extend through to the end of the shaft 8 and are at all times in communication Wit-h a chamber 41 in the cylinder extension 34 With which an outlet L12 in the coupling 4-0 communicates. In this `construction the wheel is fixed t0 the nrojecting end 35 of the shaft.

ln the modification shown in Fig. 7 the engine issubs'tantially similar yto that shown inlfig. 1 With the exception that the axle or shaft 8 is constructed separate from the yoke portion S of the axle, but is adapted to be removably connected to said yoke portion,x for which purpose it has a flange 8 to :ibut against a similarly formed flange on the axle yoke and whereby the shaft is secured thereto, said fiange also serving as an abutment to take up end thrust of the piston cylinder. Instead of the hub of the axle inclosing the piston cylinder the cylinder section 1i has an axially projecting portion 43 to which the Wheel may be fixed to rotate with the cylinder. The axle yoke has a recess 4ain axial alincment With the shaft S in which are located a series of juxtaposed disks 45 having openings to aline With the inlet and outlet ports 1T and 23 in the shaft, and with the inlets and outlets 24, 1S. These disks are adapted to be rotatably transposed to connect the inlet ports 17 with the outlet 18 and the outlet ports 23 of the shaft with the inlets 2li whereby to reverse the direction of rotation of the engine. However, as the reversing means does not constitute a part of the subject-matter of the present invention, a detailed description as to the manner of transporting these disks is not .deemed necessary.

Having thus described my invention l claim:-

1. rlhe combination of a cylinder comprising axially connected sections; a piston head to engage in the cylinder, said head being of less diameter than the internal diameter of the cylinder to provide an annular space to constitute apistonchamber; a Wing piston carried by said head to extend to the annular wall of the cylinder and operate in the piston chamber and having a cam groove in opposite ends thereof; abutments slidably carried by the cylinder to have radial movement; means to connect said abutments with the piston head to maintain said abutments in Contact with the periphery of the piston head and piston and having a part to engage in the piston cam grooves to reciprocate said abutments by the piston radially and transversely of the piston chamber; and a fluid inlet to and an outlet from the piston chamber through the piston head 0n opposite sides of the piston and said inlet and outletextending through the same end of the piston, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of a cylinder comprising axially connected sections; a piston head to engage in the cylinder, said head bemg of less diameter than the internal diameter of the cylinder t0 provide an annular space to constitute a piston chamber; apair of Wing pistons carried'by the head at diametrically opposite points to extend to the annular wall ofthe cylinder and operate in the piston chamber; cam grooves in opposite sides of the piston head and piston; two pairs lof diametrically opposite abutments slidably carried in extensions of the cylinder to have radial movement, said abutments having a part to straddle the piston head and piston; means to connect said parts of the abutments straddling the piston head and piston to maintain said abutments in contact with the periphery of the 'piston head and piston and reciprocate said abutments radially and transversely of the piston chamber; and iiuid inlets to and outlets from the piston chamber through the piston head on opposite sides of the piston and said inlet and outlet extending through the same end of the piston head, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. rIhe combination of a shaft; an engine comprising a piston and a piston chamber mounted on said shaft, one of Which is rotatable; abutments reciprocable transversely of the piston chamber; a fluid inlet to and a fluid outlet from the piston chamber on opposite sides of the piston; and a Wheel detachably lconnected lco-axially to the rotatable part of the engine to rotate therewith.

4. The combination of a shaft; an engine comprising a Wing piston and a piston chamber mounted on said shaft, one of Which is rotatable; abutments carried by the'cylinder; means to connect the abutments to the piston to reciprocate the abutments through .ing through the same end of the piston; and

a wheel connected co-axially to the rotatable part of the engine to rotate therewith, and the hnb of said wheel inclosing the piston chamber. Y

5. In an axle the combination of a fixed shaft; a wing piston fixed to said shaft; a piston chamber rotatable on the shaft; abutments slidably carried in radial extensions of said cylinder; connections between said abutments and piston to reciprocate the abutments transversely of the piston chamber during the rotation thereof; a. fluid inlet to and a fluid outlet from the piston chamber on opposite sides of the piston and extending axially through the same end of the piston; and a wheel rotatable on the shaft and connected axially to the piston chamber to rotate therewith, the hub of said wheel being arranged to inclose the piston chamber, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. ln an axle, the combination of a fixed shaft; a cylinder rotatably mounted on said shaft; a piston head fixed to the shaft engaging in the cylinder, said head being of less diameter than the internal diameter of the cylinder to provide an annular piston chainber and having a wing piston to engage in ,the piston chamber; radially slidable abutments carried in radial extensions of the cylinder reciprocable transversely of the piston chamber and having a part to extend at opposite sides of the piston head and piston; cani grooves in opposite sides of the piston head and piston; pins carried by the parts of the abutments engaging at opposite sides of the piston head and piston to engage in the same end ofthe piston head; and a l wheel rotatable with thecylinder mounted on the shaft,'the hub of Said wheel being arranged to inclose the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. In an axle, the combination of a shaft; a cylinder rotatable on said shaft; a head fixed to said shaft to engage in' the cylinder, said head being'of less diameter than the internal diameter of the cylinder to provide an annular piston chamber, and having diametrically opposite wing pistons to engage in the piston chamber; two pair of diametrically opposite abutments carried in radial extensions of the cylinder to have radial sliding movement and having a part to engage at opposite sides of the piston head and pistons; cam grooves in opposite sides of the piston head and pistons; and pins carried by the parts of the a-butments engaging at opposite sides of the piston head and pistons to engage in the cam grooves to be reciprocated transversely of the piston chamber; fluid inlets to and fluid outlets from the piston chamber through the piston head on opposite sides of the piston; ports in the shaft to communicate with the inlets and outlets in the' piston head extending through the same end of the shaft; and a wheel rotatably mounted on the shaft to rotate with the cylinder, the hub of said wheel being adapted to inclose the cylinder, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

SINCLAIR J. JOHNSON. 

